


Like A Butterfly

by LightLeadingMe



Category: The Office (US)
Genre: Developing Relationship, Emotional Hurt/Comfort, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Insecurity, Unhealthy Relationships
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-26
Updated: 2021-02-26
Packaged: 2021-03-17 19:41:11
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 935
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29722230
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LightLeadingMe/pseuds/LightLeadingMe
Summary: There were two ways Ryan could respond to the off the wall apology.
Relationships: Ryan Howard/Kelly Kapoor
Kudos: 4





	Like A Butterfly

**Author's Note:**

> another Ryan/Kelly season 2 moment. I have sad headcanons for Kelly...

"Sorry I'm not as pretty the girls I know you'd rather date." 

There were two ways Ryan could respond to the off the wall apology. One, deny she was anything less than pretty and change the subject, or two, question what the hell she was talking about and open up a huge can of worms about her insecurities. Unfortunately for Ryan, his curiosity was getting the best of him. He never got any indication from Kelly that she was insecure about herself. She walked confidently every day with her chin high, dressed in bright flashy colors, and she judged every single person in the office like a mean girl from high school. 

Huh. 

Ryan was no expert, but after watching Mean Girls with Kelly countless of times, he realized that the mean girls from school were just as insecure as the shy, nerdy girls. He decided to let her open up to him and paused the TV, setting the remote on the couch cushion next to him. He shifted so he was facing her fully, but she kept her eyes down, a completely dejected expression on her features. 

"What are you talking about?" 

It came out harsher than he wanted it to. 

Kelly started to bite her bottom lip, Ryan barely capturing the quiver with his eyes before it was stopped by her teeth. "I know you only want me here to have sex," she began softly. "You got upset with me when I blabbed to the whole office about us hooking up and you've never even mentioned me to your parents. The only reason your friends know about me is because I ran into you guys at that bar and I guess to save yourself from embarrassment, you introduced me as your coworker. I could see the way they looked at me after I hugged you..." Tears began to steadily fall from her eyes, but she still refused to look at him. "Your friend's girlfriends are all skinny and have perfect tiny noses and blonde hair with blue eyes. And I know you'd rather be with someone like them. So, I'm sorry I don't look like that, cause I know I'm not who you want." 

Ryan was speechless. His face felt extremely warm and there were tight knots forming in his throat and his stomach. He didn't realize the comments he made or the way he treated her in public had effected her so much. She seemed like she always took it in stride and even shot back at him sometimes, but he had no clue it was eating her up inside. 

It took a few minutes for him to recoup, but just as he opened his mouth to respond, she spoke again. 

"I really like you, Ryan. I wish you liked me back, but I get why you don't." 

Okay, this needed to stop. He could feel his heart pounding away in his chest and were his eyes watering? No, they couldn't be. Or, if they were, he was just feeling pity for her, that's all. Right? 

"Kelly, look at me," he demanded, his fingers hooking under her chin to tilt her head back. He waited until she opened her bloodshot eyes, blinking back her tears, and he offered her a small smile. "When I first saw you, I thought you were... well, a little prudish and nerdy." Her lip trembled again and he saw a fresh set of tears gather in her brown eyes. Quickly, Ryan wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into his lap. "Wait, don't get upset. Let me finish." 

Kelly slowly lifted one hand to fidget with the buttons on his dress shirt, her eyes slightly downcast, but she nodded to let him continue speaking. 

"After I had been here a while, you opened up a little more. You practically burst from your shell and turned into this loud girl who talks a mile a minute. And I no longer saw you as the prudish, nerdy girl who worked in customer relations. I saw you as a confident, loud, hot Indian chick with an ass that refuses to quit." To emphasize his point, his slid the hand that was on her lower back down to squeeze her behind. He couldn't stop the grin on his lips at her adorable giggle. "I always thought you were pretty, Kel. Sure, maybe not conventionally pretty, but I've never been the guy who goes after girls society tells us we should fawn over. If I did, I never would have kissed you all those months ago." 

Kelly's cheeks were red with what was either embarrassment or bashfullness as she wiped the last of her tears away from her face. "So, you do like me?" she asked in a meek voice. 

Rather than voice the words, Ryan cupped her cheek and gave her a slow, tender kiss on her lips. It was different from all of their previous kisses. Usually he kissed her roughly, his tongue always seeking hers out, his hands grabbing her body. This kiss held emotions he clearly was not ready nor did he want to voice yet. Kelly smiled into the kiss, her palm now resting over his still fast beating heart. He pulled away after a few moments, pecking her lips one final time before reaching around her to grab the remote back off the cushion beside him. 

"Now, can we finish watching this?" 

She nodded enthusiastically and wiggled in his lap, her nose pressed into his neck and a happy sigh falling from her lips. Ryan squeezed her tightly for a moment before he relaxed.


End file.
